Comment pouvez-vous développer un plan stratégique de ton de ton de message de marque pour les petites entreprises ?

For small businesses, this brand clarity is essential—not only does it define how you connect with your audience, but it also sets the stage for genuine, relatable interactions. Using tools like brand pyramids or archetypes helps distill your mission, vision, and values into a tone of voice that speaks directly to your target market with authenticity. Think of it as the unique signature of your brand's character, one that can resonate consistently across all platforms, turning your brand into a living, breathing entity in the marketplace.

To create your tone of voice, first, understand your brand identity: mission, vision, values, unique selling proposition, and target market. These elements shape your brand message. Tools like a brand pyramid or archetype can assist in defining your brand identity.

I have spent three years working with small and medium-sized businesses. Start by understanding the business roots. Take a close look at what makes the company special first. Is it local heritage, family and personal story, or perhaps a commitment to sustainability? Your brand’s messaging should reflect these unique qualities that set you apart.

Yes 💯 agree - clarity is key. That goes for the language we use when working with small business owners too. I’d never use terms like Brand Proposition or even mission/ vision when working with a small business. Goodness knows they have enough to think about/juggle! The important thing is that they have the tools they need to connect with and build relationships with their audience

After defining your brand identity, research your audience using surveys, interviews, social media listening, or reviews. Create buyer personas to understand your ideal customers. Knowing your audience helps tailor your tone of voice to match their expectations and emotions.

Tone is important because different tones resonate better with different audiences. For instance, middle-aged parents might respond well to an authoritative tone (e.g., this insurance policy is the best for families because 99% of claims are fulfilled within 24 hours), while teenagers might respond well to a trendy tone (e.g., purchase this video game because it'll make you the coolest member of your friend group). It's helpful to interview members of your target market and run tests to determine which tone they respond most positively to.

Start by asking "who is my target audience?" and "what is the purpose of my communication?" Let the answers to these two questions guide your tone in everything that you create.

I begin with identifying the brand's core values and personality, ensuring the tone aligns with the brand’s essence. I then focus on our target audience, choosing a language and style that resonates with them. The next step is writing detailed tone guidelines, which include dos and don’ts, examples, and consistency tips across all communication channels. These guidelines are crucial for anyone creating content for the brand, ensuring a uniform and authentic voice in every interaction. This approach helps small businesses create a distinctive, engaging brand voice that fosters a deep connection with their audience, turning messaging into a key asset for brand differentiation and loyalty.

Speak their tone. Understand the local lingo, values, and cultural nuances. Your messaging should feel like a neighborly conversation, not a corporate monologue. It’s about connecting on a personal level, showing you’re part of the community.

Regularly review the effectiveness of your messaging. Which messages are resonating? Which platforms are most effective? Use this data to refine your approach and ensure your messaging continues to hit the mark.

Embrace the luxury of being small! There is so much value in small, and yet small businesses often strive to appear bigger than they actually are. Maintain the flexibility and adaptability that comes with small. Experiment, stay young and distinctive. Resist the urge to mimic, always remain true to yourself, and reserve the right to evolve.

Don’t all these steps seem hugely bureaucratic for a small business? Its so easy to retreat to endless circle jerk of “who are we” and “who are they” and actually do nothing. For most small businesses I recommend a simple strategy - think about what you enjoy reading and write like that. Simply trying to make your message an enjoyable experience is a huge advantage. And once you’ve done that try exploring. You will mess up but thats valuable learning snd its well worth the fail. But mostly try having some fun.

Developing a strong brand messaging tone of voice plan is an ongoing process. Be consistent, flexible, and always strive to connect with your audience in a way that embodies your unique brand identity.

En un mundo competitivo es muy importante encontrar tu propia voz y tu propia identidad para diferenciarte del resto. No abarques más de lo que puedes, especialízate y destaca en aquello en lo que eres mejor y con esa identidad construye un discurso único pero basado en tu propia experiencia, no en la de los demás. La clave para mí no es tanto que seas original como que seas tú mismo y que aquello que transmitas, tu storytelling, sea fiel a las ideas y el propósito de tu marca. Apóyate en datos, no seas demasiado asertivo y busca el espacio y el tono donde tu audiencia pueda conectar contigo porque se siente a tu mismo nivel, no en inferioridad.

When you're a small business, the big fish are much louder than you. Which makes developing a distinctive tone of voice all the more important if you want to be heard. It's one of the ways non-leader brands become leader brands. So get to it.